10 Tips For Early-Stage Founders Raising Capital
If you’re an early-stage founder reading up on best practices for raising capital, you’ve likely come across the same bits of advice already—ranging from the idea that fundraising is both an art and a science to long anecdotes on the importance of storytelling, unwavering determination, and so on…
Of course, if this is your first encounter with these concepts, I strongly suggest seeking the right resources and starting to take notes. But if you’ve been through this rodeo before, the Venture Capital ecosystem — including its mentors, books, and videos — might begin to sound like a broken record. Trust me, I understand where you’re coming from.
Fundraising might seem like an exclusive club initially, but once you’re inside, you realize there aren’t that many secrets to raising capital. It’s true that certain decisions can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including industry / sector and management experience. Yet, the motions an early-stage startup goes through remain largely the same. Most importantly, the tenets and principles a company should adhere to are considered relatively standard—deviating from these standards is challenging, and swimming against the current while building your vision is a daunting task often best avoided.
